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hand understanding of the war ghter s
requirements," Brennan said. " e other
is through the more deliberate formal-
requirement planning process instituted
by DOD and the Joint Sta ."
At the highest level, Air Force ISR
works directly with the Joint Functional
Component Command for Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JFCC-
ISR) to in uence the allocation and ap-
portionment of Air Force ISR assets to
the COCOMs.
" e Air Force s primary interest is to
ensure [that] joint direction is realistic
and sustainable," said William Brei, lead
ISR subject matter expert for Intelligent
So ware Solutions, a custom so ware
provider serving the federal government,
based in Colorado Springs, Colo.
" e Air Force has had to devise cre-
ative solutions or make di cult resource
decisions to support JFCC-ISR tasking,
but this tasking directly re ects validated
COCOM intelligence needs," Brei said. "At
another level, Air Force ISR is completely
responsive to the Joint Forces Com-
mander s direction and guidance in the
joint planning and execution of military
operations---to include minute-by-minute
changes in intelligence needs that prompt
frequent and immediate diversions from
tasked missions during the execution
phase of operations." At the lowest in this
schema, Brei observed, Air Force ISR
leadership actively seeks opportunities to
improve the enabling processes, technolo-
gies and training that their analysts must
employ to maintain the warriors edge.
By working closely with the Air Force
Research Lab, the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency and various
national labs and industry, Air Force ISR
stays in tune with state-of-the-art and the
state-of-the-possible developments in sci-
ence, technology and engineering. "Indus-
try partners play a signi cant role through
government funding of science and tech-
nology and research and development
projects, as well as through corporate
independent research and development
(IRAD) investments that are then pre-
sented to the Air Force for consideration,"
Brennan said.
Air Force ISR has a comprehensive,
thorough process for determining the po-
tential and viability of new technologies,
Brennan said. "A core element of their suc-
cess is their assessment of ISR capabilities
across the DOD and intelligence commu-
nities, which allows them to identify best-
in-class practices, as well as gaps in their
own capability."
e Air Force ISR acquisition program
uses several levels of decision authority for
new technologies. At the top level, the Air
Force s capabilities planning and analysis
process is informed and guided by stra-
tegic direction provided by the White
House, the National Security Council,
Congress, DOD, the intelligence commu-
nity and others.
"It s a pretty big task, but we re trying to
get our arms around what indeed is out
there that can address ISR-speci c prob-
lems or that, perhaps with some tweaking,
could possibly address an ISR-speci c
problem," James said.
FACING CHALLENGES
Air Force ISR, like other organizations
involved in maintaining national security,
needs to process and manage massive
amounts of data. "Today, the biggest
limiting factor in the processing of ISR
data is the requirement for a 'man in the
loop, " Brennan said. "Air Force analysts
turn space-based imagery, signals intel-
ligence, full-motion video and other data
into timely and actionable information
for the combatant commanders and the
war ghters in the eld." Yet the sheer
volume of data received from a rapidly
expanding number of sources threatens
to overwhelm analysts.
"Technical advances in unmanned
aircra systems and new generations of
sensors have been remarkable," Brei said.
" e Achilles heel to this is our ability to
process and make sense out of all the new
22 NOVEMBER 2012 | DefenseSystems.com
A 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron pilot speaks to a serviceman
about the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle. The Air Force ISR agency has
almost 17,000 people serving at approximately 65 locations worldwide.